Discovered Planet Zarmina (Gliese 581g) Is 'Habitable' For Human Life

[Kiev Communard]

It seems the scientists have just confirmed the discovery of a new planet around Gliese 581 star, this time within its habitable zone.

+ YouTube Video

The first ever planet outside the solar system that may be able to support human life had been discovered by astronomers.

It is in the middle of the star's habitable zone, meaning that temperatures on its surface are just right for life to develop.

Gliese 581 has been under study for more than a decade through the Keck telescope in Hawaii by scientists.

Gliese 581 g or Gl 581 g is one of at least six extrasolar planets found around Gliese 581, an M3V red dwarf star approximately 20.5 light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Libra.

The planet lies near the middle of the Goldilocks zone, or habitable zone of its parent star, and the presence of liquid water is considered a strong possibility.The discovery of Gliese 581 g was announced in September 2010, and is believed to be the first Goldilocks planet ever found, the most Earth-like planet, and the best exoplanet candidate with the potential for harboring life found to date.

The planet was detected using radial velocity measurements combining the data from the HIRES instrument of the Keck 1 telescope and the HARPS instrument of ESO's 3.6m telescope at La Silla Observatory. The planet is believed to have a mass of three to four times that of the Earth and an orbital period of just under 37 days.

Steven Vogt, the co-discoverer, unofficially named the planet "Zarmina", after his wife.

Gliese 581 g is tidally locked to its star, just as our moon is to the Earth; the length of Gliese 581g's day precisely matches the length of its year. With one side of the planet always facing the star, continuous Earth-like temperatures are imaginable in the area between the bright and the dark side. Its mass indicates that it is probably a rocky planet with a definite surface and that it has enough gravity to hold on to an atmosphere. Researchers have estimated that the average surface temperature of the planet is between −31 to −12 degrees Celsius (−24 and 10 degrees Fahrenheit).

In an interview, co-discover Steven Vogt claimed "the chances for life on this planet are almost 100 percent.” However, he said this on a strictly personal basis, stating that he was an astronomer and not a biologist.

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed...for-human-life


Definite breakthrough for exoplanetology, I've thought that they would find something Earth-like perhaps in thirty to forty years but now... this. It is likely to be one of the greatest astronomical dosciveries of all times. With such temperature range and gravity the unicellular lifeforms definitely thrive here, but whether the advanced life exists on this planet is pretty much open question.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

It would be really great if we could get a spectrographic analysis of planets like this in order to determine atmospheric composition.

This would tell us whether the atmosphere has completely frozen out on the night side (thus making it unsuitable for life as we know it), or whether it possesses a dynamic atmosphere that can circulate the heat from day side to night side (making it much more suitable for life as we know it) or something else entirely.

[Kiev Communard]

It would be really great if we could get a spectrographic analysis of planets like this in order to determine atmospheric composition.

This would tell us whether the atmosphere has completely frozen out on the night side (thus making it unsuitable for life as we know it), or whether it possesses a dynamic atmosphere that can circulate the heat from day side to night side (making it much more suitable for life as we know it) or something else entirely.

If they managed to discern the average surface temperature, I think it may be possible to determine the character of its atmosphere as well.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

If they managed to discern the average surface temperature, I think it may be possible to determine the character of its atmosphere as well.

I think the average temperature figures are derived from planetary distance from the stellar primary - this can be misleading.

[Kiev Communard]

I think the average temperature figures are derived from planetary distance from the stellar primary - this can be misleading.

Here is what New Scientist says about it:

Conditions on the planet would be very different from those on Earth. The host star is a low-mass red dwarf that is just 1 per cent as bright as the sun.

Because it puts out so little light and warmth, its habitable zone lies much closer in than does the sun's. At such tight distances, planets in the zone experience strong gravitational tugs from the star that probably slow their rotation over time, until they become "locked" with one side always facing the star, just as the moon always keeps the same face pointed towards Earth.

That would mean perpetual daylight on one side of the planet and permanent shadow on the other. A first approximation suggests the temperature would be 71 °C on the day side and -34 °C on the night side, though winds could soften the differences by redistributing heat around the planet.

Travelling from one side of the planet to the other, there would be a range of intermediate temperatures, says Vogt. "The most comfortable place on this planet … is along what we call the terminator, the line between light and dark," he says. "You basically see the star sitting on the horizon – you see an eternal sunrise or sunset."

http://www.newscientist.com/article/...host-life.html

Bearing in mind that temperatures on Earth is far more extreme (-94 in Antarctica or +71 in Sahara Desert), Earth-like life (of what we could term extremophile variety) could most certainly exist there without any significant problems.

[Salyut]

Lemme quote Phil Plait who is awesome:

There are some things we can speculate on with some solid footing. The orbital period of 37 days puts it pretty close to the star – since the star is a red dwarf, it’s cooler than the Sun, so being closer doesn’t necessarily mean you overheat. But it does mean the star exerts strong tides on the planet, which have the effect of slowing the planet’s rotation until it equals the orbital period. This has almost certainly happened to this planet, so in other words, one day on this planet = one year, and the planet always shows the same face to its star like the Moon does to the Earth.
That makes things a bit dicier for habitability. The side facing the star may get very hot, while the dark side gets very cold. If the planet has an atmosphere that gets mitigated somewhat (the hot air on the day side will flow over to the night side and vice versa, smoothing out the highs and lows in temperature), and may make the planet more clement. However, we have no clue if this planet has an atmosphere at all.
I also want to note that the mass found (3x Earth) is the minimum mass of the planet! It may be more massive, though it’s unlikely to be much more. The Doppler method doesn’t give an exact mass, only a lower limit. That’s frustrating, but that’s the way the math works out.

That being said I'm optimistic.

[Kiev Communard]

Lemme quote Phil Plait who is awesome:


That being said I'm optimistic.

It seems they have addressed the issue of temperature ranges on the day side and night side, as I noted in the previous posts. The different lifeforms on Earth could actually survive under such temperatures - think Antarctica and Sahara, for instance.

[EvilRedGuy]

First Goldilocks planet ever discovered. Interesting.

[Amphictyonis]

It would be really great if we could get a spectrographic analysis of planets like this in order to determine atmospheric composition.

This would tell us whether the atmosphere has completely frozen out on the night side (thus making it unsuitable for life as we know it), or whether it possesses a dynamic atmosphere that can circulate the heat from day side to night side (making it much more suitable for life as we know it) or something else entirely.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Webb_Space_Telescope

That's what the James Webb will do. Kepler has also found hundreds of potential earth size planets. Exciting times indeed.

[The Fighting_Crusnik]

It's cool that they discovered this but... I think there is a good chance that if the technology become available, and there is highly intelligent life... the imperialists would try to enslave the planet...

[Q]

It's cool that they discovered this but... I think there is a good chance that if the technology become available, and there is highly intelligent life... the imperialists would try to enslave the planet...

By the time we have starships, we must have communism, don't you watch startrek?

The chances of finding life that is even remotely comparable to us, in fysiology and intelligence, is rather remote though. More likely they're either bacteria or seeming deities that don't notice nor care about monkeys passing their lawn.

[AK]

More likely they're either bacteria

What are the chances that life on other planets and their moons would be cellular or even resemble anything that we know at all if it was cellular?

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

What are the chances that life on other planets and their moons would be cellular or even resemble anything that we know at all if it was cellular?

I'd say they are pretty high. Cells are the smallest units of life, they define the seperation between an organism and its environment, and they provide an essential support network for molecular replicators (which in the case of alien life may not be based on DNA).

[Salyut]

I still say we'll find a dyson sphere before we catch a signal - unless the Benford Beacons turn out to be real.

[The Fighting_Crusnik]

Well, since someone cited Star Trek, if you're a fan, you know that the reason most of the aliens are humanoid is due to an ancient species of alien that went emo and spread its dna throughout the cosmos So in that case, humanoid life forms could pretty easy to find.

[Q]

Well, since someone cited Star Trek, if you're a fan, you know that the reason most of the aliens are humanoid is due to an ancient species of alien that went emo and spread its dna throughout the cosmos So in that case, humanoid life forms could pretty easy to find.

Well, I know that TNG episode and that is really somewhat of a stretch
Like Noxion pointed out earlier, there only has to be a 0.001% variety over such a big time (if I remember correctly, said species in TNG was billions of years old) to still cause a difference between the early stone age (50 000 years ago) or a hyper advanced civilisation (50 000 years from now). That is still dicarding the major influence of environmental factors on the course of evolution.

The Stargate method of spreading humans across the galaxy through slavetrade is much more logical.

[The Fighting_Crusnik]

Well, if this planet has the same atmospheric composition of earth, then that would almost have to mean that the life on it is similar. My reasoning for this is that Earth did not always have this atmosphere that we have. But because of simple organisms, the Earth became what it is now. Either way, we'll just have to wait and see. According to a national science foundation video, it would take several generations to get a satellite there and then 200 years from that point for the data to be sent back to Earth. Hopefully, technology will advance as it has been doing so that we can maybe send something there except for a human in our lifetimes. But hell, Europa may have life swarming in it. So why not send a satellite with a drill there to see.

[Red Commissar]

With a name like "Zarmina" there'd better be some freaky stuff or I'll be disappointed. Seriously, what an odd name for a person.

[The Fighting_Crusnik]

lol, maybe we'll find a planet that is centuries ahead of us and have a full functioning socialist-like government. lol, I'd love to see how the conservotards, especially Glenn Beck, take to that.

[Nolan]

lol, maybe we'll find a planet that is centuries ahead of us and have a full functioning socialist-like government. lol, I'd love to see how the conservotards, especially Glenn Beck, take to that.

We must spread democracy to the stars!